Tempered Resilience

Tod Bolsinger (IVP)
The subtitle of Tempered Resilience speaks of “how leaders are formed in the crucible of change.” Using the image of a blacksmith’s shop, Tod Bolsinger writes, “Tempering a leader is a process of reflection, relationships, and practices during the act of leading that form resilience to continue leading when the resistance is highest” (emphasis in original). Given how much change pastors and other church leaders have faced, initiated, and endured this year, this book is a timely read.

Models Of Evangelism

Priscilla Pope-Levison (Baker Academic)
In this book, Priscilla Pope-Levison presents “eight influential models of evangelism”: personal, small group, visitation, liturgical, church growth, prophetic, revival, and media. She outlines biblical, theological, historical, and practical foundations for each model, providing a fair-minded assessment of its pros and cons. Models of Evangelism concludes by identifying five qualities essential to each model: hospitality, relationship, integrity, message-bearing, and church participation. This book will help church leaders think more faithfully and creatively about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in their communities.

Lead

Paul David Tripp (Crossway)
“The church is in desperate need of a leadership community whose function is not just structured to achieve with efficiency but is more deeply shaped by the comforts and calls of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” In Lead, Paul David Tripp enumerates 12 gospel-shaped principles that should guide the leadership of the local church. Biblically rooted and pastorally sensitive, this book should be on the reading lists of pastors, pastoral staff, and board members. Better yet, read it as a group!

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2020 edition of Influence magazine.